Comments for M (Myohonji) - Z

A very quiet large temple with a mountain in the back is Myohonji. It's located in Hiki-gayatsu Valley.

There was the mansion of Yoshikazu Hiki 比企能員, a senior vassal of Yoritomo Minamoto.

The Hiki clan was completely destroyed by the Regent Hojo because their attempt of anti-Hojo-regency failed. Meanwhile, the youngest child could survive and he asked the priest Nichiren to build a Hokkedo Meditation Hall on the site of Hiki's residence. That is said to be the beginning of Myohonji.

Walking about one minutes along the lane from the side gate of the temple, there is the small hall called Jakushi-do 蛇苦止堂.

Yoshikazu's daughter who was married to the 2nd Shogun Yoriie is enshrined in that hall.

* A variety of the seasonal scenery such as cherry blossom, Chinese trumpet creeper and autumn leaves can be seen in the temples large ground.

*Comments by stores

Myohonji is an old temple that was built in the Kamakura period. It's one of the most Kamakura like temples in the Bushi warrior times, which is simple but has the dignity.

That place called Hiki Valley old days is deeply forested and some streetlights turn on in the evening. It's not the illumination but I think that the scenery of the temple halls under the every day's streetlights is also good to see.

by Ushio

(Lidging & Eatery)

Myohonji is located near Kamakura Station in the center of the city, but it's very quiet and surrounded by a lot of green trees.

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That place was the Hiki (比企) clan's residential area. Their graves, a historical water well and other Hiki's related things can be seen at Myohonji.

*Hiki clan: One of the most powerful family in the beginning of Kamakura period. But they were defeated in a struggle for power and the family was wiped out by the Hojos.

This is an old temple built in the times of the Kamakura successor races (13C). Entering through the front gate, you would walk along the approach in the sunlight filtering through trees before reaching the main building.

Myohonji Temple stands in the relatively large precincts as a Kamakura temple and is very quiet and peaceful. I would like Kamakura visitors to visit it.

It is said that the monk who prayed for a lady ghost in the story of Onme-sama (Daigyoji Temple) met her soul on the way to Myohonji Temple.

It's said that there was a execution site to the north of that crossing and those statues were placed to pray for the souls of the dead criminals.

*Comments by stores

The Kamakura Shogunate executed many people while prompting the enactment of laws. Criminals were sentenced to death penalty at Monchujo (問注所, Old Kamakura High Court) that was built near the current Kamakura station westside and were killed at the execution site in Yuigahama.

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Rokujizo (六地蔵, Six guardian deities of children) were placed near the execution site to mourn those people.

Many roadside monuments such as Tsuka-grave, Jizo and pagoda can be seen in Kamakura, each of which has its background story as well as the Rokujizo.

Let us introduce one small pagoda along Yuigahama St.

A little girl of a rich family in this area was carried off by an eagle long time ago. Her parents sadly found some small pieces of her clothes here and there and placed the pagoda at each place for her, only one of which is left and local people mourn for her even now.

We call the crossing with pagoda Tou no Tsuji 塔の辻.

(The stone board introducing about this story was moved a little away across the street.)

bySOU INOUE

(Deli)

Look at the six cute Jizo (guardian deity of children) standing quietly at a crossing of the streets. It is regrettable if you miss them in a rush to cross the street.. They are so famous as this cross roads is named Roku jizo cross-road.

The oldest temple in Kamakura, which was built by a high priest 500 years before the Kamakura period.

The founder is Gyoki 行基 who is known as a great Buddhist priest and for his support of the construction of the Nara's Great Buddha.

When he walked around the earstern Japan and came to this place, he desided to place a Kannon statue here.

Later, the main hall was built thanks to a donation from the Empress Komyo. Sugimotodera's three 11-faced Kannon statues are designated as the Important National Cultural Properties, one of which is said to be the Gyogi's work.

Visitors can feel unspeakably peaceful atmosphere in this temple and many of them come to that place as a spiritual place.

Tokeiji is now a temple of Man-Monks, but it started as a nunnery in the 13C and it came to be called "Kakekomi dera (駆け込み寺, Sanctuary Temple for women) " in the ancient times.

Founder is Kakuzan-Ni 覚山尼 who was the Regent Tokimune Hojo's wife. She received that Buddhist name from Mugaku Sogen 無学祖元, the founder of Engakuji.

Those days, wives were not allowed to cut their marital ties with their husbands unless they got a letter of divorce from their husbands.

Tokeiji received women who wanted to divorce even though they did not have such letters.

That temple had been managed by nuns coming from the Imperial family or big Bushi families such as Tokugawa. Meanwhile, it became a very prestigious temple.

Later, Tokeiji was changed to be a Zen temple.

There is a graveyard at the foot of the mountain and several graves of the successive nuns in a corner. Yohdo-Ni 用堂尼 who is known as the daughter of Emperor Godaigo and the sister of Prince Morinaga rests in piece at that place.

* Tokeiji keeps the atmosphere of nunnery and visitors enjoy a variety of flowers in its garden.

* Monthly Zen meditation class in the morning for the public is held at the main hall.

*Comments by stores

We can enjoy seasonal scenery with hydrangea and autumn leaves around the external stairways up to the Temple Gate. It's beautiful garden and the Buddhist hall with the mountain in the back are also good to see.

So, I like that temple and want to recommend visiting.

It's a Zen temple now, but when it was fouded in the 13 century it was a nunnery temple that had been known for hundreds of years as a place of hiding a women escaping from their husband. Tokeiji was called Kakekomi Dera (駆け込み寺, sanctuary) those days.

Not only as the Genji's shrine but Tsurugaoka Hachimangu became known all over the country as a holy place for Bushi and Samurai worriors as well.

It was highly revered by Ashikaga, Toyotomi, and Tokugawa even after the Kamakura period.

Besides the main hall on the upper grounds, several sub shrines, stage-hall, garden, and even a street are well known as a part of that shrine.

Maiden 舞殿：

A worship hall located on the lower ground. Seasonal events are held on its stage. Sizuka's dance that is performed in the spring festival is a popular performance.

Yabusame やぶさめ:

Samurai horseback archery was an important competition held in front of the Shogun in the Kamakura period, which has been passed down to now. It's performed in spring and autumn along the internal road called Horse road 馬道.

Dankazura 段葛:

One step raised approach from the 2nd Torii gate near Kamakura Station to Hachimangu. Yoritomo built this walk way praying for his wife Masako's easy delivery.

Genji pond and Heike pond 源氏池と平家池：

Coming from the main entrance on the side of Dankazura, Genji pond is on the right side. Hata-age Benzaiten Sha (旗揚弁財天社, one of the Kamakura Shichifukujin) and Botan-en （ぼたん園 Peony Garden) is around the pond. Other side pond is called Heike pond.

Moto Hachiman in Zaimokuza

Original shrine of the Hachimangu was founded by Yoriyoshi Minamoto 源頼義 in 11C at Zaimokuza to worship the guardian deity for Genji family, which is now called Moto Hachiman (元八幡, Original Hachiman).

Yoshiie Minamoto 源義家 re-built that, then Yoritomo moved that shrine to the center of Kamakura. Moto Hachiman still remains in Zaimokuza as an old shrime.

A major incident in the Kamakura period

The third Shogun Sanetomo Minamoto was assassinated by his nephew at Tsurugaoka Hachiangu in 13C. It is said that the assassin hid behind a big Ginkgo and stabbed Sanetomo.

Unfortunately, that tree fell down due to strong winds in 2010 and the remaining trunk is now in the middle of regeneration works at the same place beside the external large stairways.

*Comments by stores

I go to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu for Hatsumodé (初詣, the first worship-visit in each year), since it's close from our cafe. That symbolic shrine founded by Yoritomo Minamoto in the late 12C is always busy with many worshipers, but it becomes more lively during the New Year Holidays.

There is a peony garden called Botan-en in a big bond and other seasonal views with cherry blossoms, lotus, and autumn leaves around that pond are also the great attraction of the shrine.

by albicocca.

(Italian cafe)

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu placed in the center of Kamakura city is recommended as a visiting spot. You could enjoy seasonal flower viewing and some popular events such as Yabusame archery and Shizuka Dance etc.

Founder of Toshimaya was one of the Kamakura residents who admired that shrine much and decided to make sable modelling a pigeon, the symbol of Hachimangu.

by Toshimaya

(Sable)

A variety of sight seeing spots can be chosen in Kamakura. Among them, we would like to recommend Tsurugaoka Hachimangu 鶴ヶ丘八幡宮 as the first place to visit.

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That shrine is one of the most popular tourist spots in Japan and has the historic significance that Shogun Yoritomo Minamoto 将軍 源頼朝 built it when he founded Kamakura Bakufu (幕府 Shogunate, Samurai government) in the late 12th century.

Hachimangu in Kamakura is the shrine in connection with Genji family, which was originally founded by an ancestor of Yoritomo at a place near Yuigahama in 11C. It stands there even now under the name of Moto Hachiman 元八幡.

About 100 years later, Yoritomo moved it to the central Kamakura as a grand shrine of Kanto districts and as Souchinju (総鎮守, the shrine dedicated to the tutelary deity) of Kamakura. In this way, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu appeared in Kamakura.

It was an important place where many events such as Yabusame (流鏑馬, horseback archery), Sumo wrestling 相撲, Japanese court dance & music etc. were held those days.

Shizuka's Dance 静の舞

Shizuka was a girl in Kyoto, known as a good Shirabyoshi and Yoshitsune's girl friend.

*Shirabyoshi 白拍子: Ancient dance performer.

*Yoshitsune Minamoto 源義経: A brother of Shogun Yoritomo and the genius warrior who contributed most to destroy Heike (平家、Samurai family, rival of Genji).

She ran away with Yoshitsune who was considered to be a traitor but lost contact with him in the Kyoto suburbs. Only she was captured, sent to Kamakura, and was ordered to dedicate a dance for celebrating prosperity of the eastern districts in front of Yoritomo at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.

However, she danced singing a song that expressed her sorrow of parting from her boyfriend.

Finally, Yoshitsune was cornered in the nothern district and killed there.

Shizuka and Yoshitsune are still handed down as a heroine and hero of a tragedy in the Kamakura period.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu holds some events such as horseback archery and Shizuka's dance in the annual festival.

by Sangosho

(Curry, Steak)

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu 鶴岡八幡宮 is one of the most important historical shrines in Kamakura and can be recommended as the best tourist spot that is worth visiting.

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The main shrine is placed on the upper ground and we can view Wakamiya Oji Street that spreads straight out from there to Yuigahama shore. You would be impressed when you see it while thinking that the same scenery was viewed by the priests and executives of Kamakura Shogunate those days.

You will find two large ponds, one is called Genji Ike 源氏池 and the other is Heike Ike 平家池. Genji Ike is famous for the beautiful cherry blossoms in late March and Heike Ike is for the autumn colored leaves.

It is also enjoyable to visit several sub-shrines built in Hachimangu's grounds.

Dankazura 段葛

Shogun Yoritomo laid Dankazura street as the one step higher approach to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. He ordered to build it as the closer to the shrine, it's narrowed and declined so that the shrine looked far.

These days, that approach is one of the best spots for the cherry blossom viewing in Kamakura. All trees were replaced as a part of maintenance works of the approach 2015 to 2016 and the young cherry trees blossom cheerful flowers in the late March.

by WAHINE

(Asian cuisine)

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu ("gu"means Shrine) was built in the later 12th century by Minamoto Yoritomo, the founder of Kamakura Shogunate. I would recommend it to the visitors because of its large-scale as well as the Great Buddha Kotoku-in.

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It is out of Hase district, but you could reach there on foot from the seaside easily.

There is another Hachimangu called Yuiwakamiya Shrine or Moto Hachiman that was founded in the middle of 11th century by an ancestor of Yoritomo. Yoritomo moved this small shrine to the much wider ground. That is the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.

We can see the Moto Hachiman standing quietly even now. "Moto" means "Original". (20 - 30 minute walk from Tsurugaoka)

It is said that 源義家 (Yoshiie Minamoto, in early 12C) put up a flag of Genji family on a pine tree. That tree is called "A Pine of the Flag", its trunk remains in Moto Hachiman's ground.

Yoshimori Wada was one of the most trusted Samurai by Shogun Yoritomo.

After the Yoritomo 's death, his son and nephew were executed on a charge of a conspiracy of excluding the Regent Hojo.

Yoshimori felt a strong resentment and challenged the Hojo clan to a battle, but lost at Yuigahama and his clan was completely destroyed.

*Comments by stores

The Enoden station's name here came from the graves of the Wada family. They were defeated in a battle in the early 13th Century of the Kamakura period. That is the nearest public spot from our cafe.

by Mu Shin An

(Japanese sweets)

A long time ago, there was a big struggle for power here in Kamakura. Wadazuka is the grave for the Wada family who lost in the fight. Wada (family name) + Zuka (burial mound) is now the name of the station, too.

One day, Shogun Yoritomo saw a dream that a Ugafukujin God told him "There is a spring running out of the rocks in a valley to the northwest. Go there and worship the Shinto deity at that place, then peace will come to the people."

He found the spring as it had been described and immediately placed a shrine to enshrine the Ugafukujin God at that place. That is the story about the foundation of Zeniarai Benzaiten.

Later, the 5th Regent Tokiyori Hojo advised people "Wash your money with the spring-water at Zenizari Bentzaiten, you will receive more return." He also took initiatives to wash money and prayed for the prosperity of the family.

This shrine is one of the most popular tourist spots where visitors wash their money by the spring-water in a rocky cave even now. Also, we can see clean water here and there in the shrine's grounds which are called the Kamakura's Best Five Springs.

* We usually call this shrine Zeniarai Benten in short.

* Ugafuku 宇賀福神: A god of luck whith the snake body and human head.

* Benzaiten 弁財天: A goddess originally of water for harvest. Then it became a goddess of arts. It's also called Benten 弁天.

- Those two deities of water and arts came to be worshiped together.

*Comments by stores

Although I'm a Kamakura people, actually I don't go so much to shrines and temples. When I guide friends, I will take them to Zeniarai Benten.

Entering the entrance that was tunneled mountains, there is a cave where we wash money expecting more returns. They are all pleased when they are taken to Zeniarai Benten.

by Île Saint Louis

(Cake)

One of the ever popular Kamakura tourist spots is this shrine. That is located in the middle of a steep up-hill street toward the Genjiyama Park.

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One day, Minamoto Yoritomo saw a revelation in a dream. Following the dream, he searched for a spot of clean water, found it, then built a shrine there in the late 12th century. That is the origin of this Benten shrine.

Later, people came to visit there beleiving that if they washed some money in the water and spent it instead of just saving, they would receive more money.

It's interesting if the old Kamakura people thought the monetary theory before the Keynesians, isn't it?

You can wash money in a cave at Zeniarai-Benten even now. "ZENI ARAI" means "Money wash".

Soseki Muso 夢窓疎石 was a Rinzai Zen Priest in 14C who was responsible for the deep devotion of Emperor Godaigo and Takauji Ashikaga.

He built Zuisenji because he felt that the topography of the mountains was suitable for Zen temple.

Soseki was also a good garden builder as he thought the garden building was a good Zen training and made a nice garden in Zuisenji. It's now designated as a National Scenic Beauty. That Zen garden, which might be better to call "Rock Garden", is the remaining one among the gardens in Kamakura that were constructed in the Kamakura period.

On the other hand, it is also popular for the seasonal flowers.

* Entrance of the Ten-en Hiking trail is near the temple's entrance.

*Comments by stores

We recommend Zuisenji that stands quietly at the foot of mountain. That temple is a very highly ranked temple since it was founded in the end of the Kamakura period.

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Besides that, its grounds that is designated as a National Historic Site and the garden of National Scenic beauty are wonderful. It's unlike any other.

A Buddhist priest well know as the great garden-builder made Zuisenji's garden. It is said that he made garden as ascetic practices. That may be one of the reasons why Zuisenji is a bit different from other temples.